Guillermo X. Garcia: Question stumps candidates

Usually, by the time an election is three weeks away and the candidates have taken part in enough mind-numbing candidates’ forums, they have their answers down pat and can lapse into them without even thinking.

Surprises rarely occur — unless they are asked about chickens.

Crime, lack of streets and sidewalks, and a city bureaucracy that is less than attentive to citizens’ needs were among major topics of discussion at a City Council District 5 candidates forum Friday morning at the Good Samaritan Community Services Center.

Only three of the six candidates showed up to meet with a room full of senior citizens and answer their questions. But the candidates, Gilbert Gallego, Lourdes Galvan and Ralph Gomez, appeared stumped by one senior’s problem.

“There’s too many chickens running around, and nobody does anything about it,” said a lady in the audience.

The candidates looked at her. They looked at each other. They looked at her again.

Then one of them suggested she contact the city and think about renting or borrowing cages or wire coops to corral the wayward fowl.

“But it’s not my chickens,” said the lady.

Wisely, but without really addressing the Great Chicken Issue of 2007, the candidates chose discretion and moved on to another question. Soon someone asked about exercise for seniors and the need for more facilities to make that possible. The thought occurred to at least one listener that chasing chickens is pretty good exercise.

In any case, the guess here is that by the next public forum, at least three District 5 contenders will have developed a position on chickens.